Enhancing River Water Quality: A Collaborative Effort Between BrantaSae, RIVER, and Citizen Science for Sustainable River Cleaning

Authors

  • Siti Nurjanah Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia,
  • Ahmad Rizal Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
  • Rina Setiawati Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70716/joca.v2i2.272

Keywords:

river water quality, sustainable cleaning, citizen science, environmental collaboration, water pollution

Abstract

River water pollution is a significant environmental issue affecting aquatic ecosystems and human health. In this study, we explore the collaborative efforts between BrantaSae, RIVER, and citizen science initiatives to enhance river water quality through sustainable cleaning practices. The partnership aims to integrate technology, community participation, and scientific research to address river pollution effectively. BrantaSae's innovative monitoring tools, combined with RIVER's research framework, have enabled real-time data collection on water quality. Citizen science, as an inclusive approach, engages local communities in data collection, fostering awareness and encouraging direct involvement in river cleaning activities. The collaboration has demonstrated promising results in improving water quality, reducing pollutants, and enhancing community engagement in river conservation. The study emphasizes the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration and the role of citizen science in promoting sustainable environmental practices. By combining scientific knowledge with community-driven efforts, this initiative serves as a model for future river management strategies aimed at preserving water quality and biodiversity for future generations.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Bonney, R., Cooper, C. B., Dickinson, J., Kelling, S., Phillips, T., Rosenberg, K. V., & Shirk, J. (2009). Citizen science: A developing tool for expanding science knowledge and scientific literacy. BioScience, 59(11), 977-984. https://doi.org/10.1525/bio.2009.59.11.9

Bonney, R., Phillips, T. B., Ballard, H. L., & Enck, J. W. (2016). Can citizen science enhance public understanding of science? Public Understanding of Science, 25(1), 2-16. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963662515607406

Buytaert, W., Zulkafli, Z., Grainger, S., Acosta, L., Alemie, T. C., Bastiaensen, J., De Bièvre, B., Bhusal, J., Clark, J., Dewulf, A., Foggin, M., Hannah, D. M., Hergarten, C., Isaeva, A., Karpouzoglou, T., Pandeya, B., Paudel, D., Sharma, K., Steenhuis, T., ... Zhumanova, M. (2014). Citizen science in hydrology and water resources: Opportunities for knowledge generation, ecosystem service management, and sustainable development. Frontiers in Earth Science, 2, Article 26. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2014.00026

Carpenter, S. R., Caraco, N. F., Correll, D. L., Howarth, R. W., Sharpley, A. N., & Smith, V. H. (1998). Nonpoint pollution of surface waters with phosphorus and nitrogen. Ecological Applications, 8(3), 559-568. https://doi.org/10.1890/1051-0761(1998)008[0559:NPOSWW]2.0.CO;2

Chaabane, S. (2024). Assessing the performance of a citizen science-based water quality monitoring program. Water, 16(11), Article 6.

Conrad, C. C., & Hilchey, K. G. (2011). A review of citizen science and community-based environmental monitoring: Issues and opportunities. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 176(1-4), 273-291. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-010-1582-5

Danielsen, F., Burgess, N. D., & Balmford, A. (2014). Community monitoring matters: Human and social dimensions of ecological monitoring. Biological Conservation, 169, 271–276. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2013.10.040

Danielsen, F., Pirhofer-Walzl, K., Adrian, T. P., Kapijimpanga, D. R., Burgess, N. D., Jensen, P. M., Bonney, R., Funder, M., Holt, S., Poulsen, M. K., Rueda, R. M., & Young, R. (2014). Linking public participation in scientific research to the indicators and needs of international environmental agreements. Conservation Letters, 7(1), 12-24. https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12024

Dickinson, J. L., Shirk, J., Bonter, D., Bonney, R., Crain, R. L., Martin, J., Phillips, T., & Purcell, K. (2012). The current state of citizen science as a tool for ecological research and public engagement. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 10(6), 291-297. https://doi.org/10.1890/110236

Dodds, W. K., & Smith, V. H. (2016). Nitrogen, phosphorus, and eutrophication in streams. Inland Waters, 6(2), 155-164. https://doi.org/10.5268/IW-6.2.909

Fraisl, D., Hager, G., Bedessem, B., Gold, M., Hsing, P.-Y., Danielsen, F., Hitchcock, C. B., Hulbert, J. M., Piera, J., Spiers, H., Thiel, M., & Haklay, M. (2022). Citizen science in environmental and ecological sciences. Nature Reviews Methods Primers, 2, Article 64. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43586-022-00144-4

George, G., Menon, N. N., & Abdulaziz, A. (2021). Citizen scientists contribute to real-time monitoring of lake water quality using 3D-printed mini Secchi disks. Frontiers in Water, 3.

https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2021.716437

Haklay, M. (2013). Citizen science and volunteered geographic information: Overview and typology of participation. In D. Sui, S. Elwood, & M. Goodchild (Eds.), Crowdsourcing geographic knowledge: Volunteered geographic information (VGI) in theory and practice (pp. 105–122). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4587-2_7

Hussain, I., Yaseen, M., & Al Jubouri, Q. (2017). Application of real-time water quality monitoring systems for sustainable management of urban river basins. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 143(9), 04017062.

https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0001242

Kosmala, M., Wiggins, A., Swanson, A., & Simmons, B. (2016). Assessing data quality in citizen science. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 14(10), 551–560. https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.1436

Ostrom, E. (2009). A general framework for analyzing sustainability of social-ecological systems. Science, 325(5939), 419-422. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1172133

Reason, P., & Bradbury, H. (Eds.). (2008). Handbook of action research: Participative inquiry and practice (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.

Shirk, J. L., Ballard, H. L., Wilderman, C. C., Phillips, T., Wiggins, A., Jordan, R., McCallie, E., Minarchek, M., Lewenstein, B. V., Krasny, M. E., & Bonney, R. (2012). Public participation in scientific research: A framework for deliberate design. Ecology and Society, 17(2), 29. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-04705-170229

Smith, V. H., Tilman, G. D., & Nekola, J. C. (1999). Eutrophication: Impacts of excess nutrient inputs on freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems. Environmental Pollution, 100(1-3), 179–196. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0269-7491(99)00091-3

United Nations Environment Programme. (2021). Making peace with nature: A scientific blueprint to tackle the climate, biodiversity and pollution emergencies. https://www.unep.org/resources/making-peace-nature

UN-Water. (2021). Summary progress update 2021: SDG 6: Water and sanitation for all. https://www.unwater.org/publications

Vörösmarty, C. J., McIntyre, P. B., Gessner, M. O., Dudgeon, D., Prusevich, A., Green, P., Glidden, S., Bunn, S. E., Sullivan, C. A., Reidy Liermann, C., & Davies, P. M. (2010). Global threats to human water security and river biodiversity. Nature, 467(7315), 555-561. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature09440

Downloads

Published

2026-04-26

How to Cite

Enhancing River Water Quality: A Collaborative Effort Between BrantaSae, RIVER, and Citizen Science for Sustainable River Cleaning. (2026). Journal of Community Action, 2(2), 45-51. https://doi.org/10.70716/joca.v2i2.272